Big Business Depletes Nature, Big Business Supplements Natural with Synthetic Foods – Global Issues
MADRID, April 27 (IPS) – In case you didn’t know, know that humanity once grew more than 6,000 species of plants for food, but instead, less than 200 of these make a big contribution to the world. food production. Of these, only 9% accounted for 66% of total crop production.
In addition, 33% of the world’s fish stocks are overfished.
And 26% of the nearly 8,000 local livestock breeds that still exist are now at risk of extinction.
And most coral reefs face so much pressure from pollution to overfishing and habitat destruction.
In addition, many species, including pollinators, soil organisms and natural enemies of pests and diseases, which contribute to important ecosystem services, are being degraded as a result of environmental destruction and degradation. habitats, over-exploitation, pollution and other threats.
There is also a rapid decline in vital ecosystems that provide many essential services for food and agriculture, including providing fresh water, protection against storms, floods and other hazards. other species, and habitats for species such as fish and pollinators.
All of the above facts are not surprising – they are, among many others, based on concrete scientific results provided by 91 countries and 27 international organisations, and the contributions of more than 175 authors and critics who have built State of the World’s Biodiversity in Food and Agriculture.
What is biodiversity for food and agriculture?
Food and Agriculture Organization of the United Nations (FAO) explains that biodiversity is the variety of life at genetic, species, and ecosystem levels. Biodiversity for food and agriculture, in turn, is the subset of biodiversity that contributes in one way or another to agriculture and food production, it added:
Biodiversity includes domesticated plant and animal species that are part of cropping, livestock, forest or aquaculture systems, harvested forest and aquatic species, and wild relatives. of domesticated and other wild species harvested for food and other products.
It also includes what is known as “related biodiversity,” the range of organisms that live in and around agricultural and food production systems, maintain them, and contribute to their yields. .
Biodiversity provides many important ecosystem services, such as creating and maintaining healthy soils, pollinating crops, controlling pests and diseases, and providing habitat for animals, FAO adds. wildlife, including fish and other species important to food production and agricultural livelihoods, and explain the following:
Biodiversity makes production and livelihood systems more resilient to shocks and stresses, including those caused by climate change. This is an important resource in efforts to increase food production while limiting negative impacts on the environment.
It makes many contributions to the livelihoods of many people, often reducing the need for food and agricultural producers that rely on costly or environmentally harmful external inputs.
Biodiversity at the genetic, species and ecosystem levels helps to address challenges posed by diverse and changing socioeconomic and environmental conditions.
Diversify production systems, for example by using multiple species, varieties or varieties, integrating the use of crop, livestock, forest and fisheries biodiversity, or promoting habitat diversity in local landscapes or seascapes, helping to promote resilience, improve livelihoods, and support food and nutrition security.
“Many key components of biodiversity for food and agriculture at the genetic, species and ecosystem level are being degraded. The rate of livestock breeds at risk of extinction is increasing. Overall, the diversity of crops available in farmers’ fields has decreased and threats to crop diversity have increased.”
More than 6,000 species of plants have been grown for food. Now, less than 200 people contribute greatly to food production globally, regionally or nationally. A sea of soybeans is seen near the city of Porto Nacional, on the right bank of the Tocantins River, Brazil. Credits: Mario Osava / IPS
Demolishing our own house
If this weren’t enough, also know that the world’s oceans are getting warmer due to increasing global carbon dioxide emissions.
In addition, the world’s most famous coral reefs could become extinct by the end of this century unless more is done to make them more resilient to our warming oceans.
In short, “We are ravaging our own home – the only home we have, the common home we all share,” UN General Assembly President Abdulla, Shahid said on April 22, 2022 on the occasion of International Mother Earth Day.
But who is behind the destruction of biodiversity?
Apparently, those who profited by exploiting the essential infrastructure of all life on Earth, through their intensive industrial agriculture, gathered the genetic resources of plants and animals. to register them as their own “property,” produce genetically modified foods and overuse chemicals.
They are also big timber traders who clear the forest, wasting large amounts of agricultural and livestock products to keep prices as profitable as possible, and for a very, very long time.
And who benefits from such destruction?
A specific, precise answer to this question can be inferred from the numerous studies elaborated by the Professor. Vandana Shivaworld-renowned environmental activist from India, who is known for protesting against large multinational companies like Monsanto for their “nefarious influence on agriculture”.
In her ‘must read’ report, Corporate push for synthetic foods: The wrong solutions endanger our health and harm the planetVandana Shiva announces that fully artificial foods are an increasingly popular trend focused on developing a new line of synthetically produced, ultra-processed food products using recent advancements in synthetic biology, artificial intelligence and biotechnology.
“These new products seek to mimic and replace animal products, food additives, and expensive, rare, or highly social ingredients (such as palm oil), explains the company. Physicist, ecologist, philosopher, activist and author of more than 20 books and 500 sheets.
“Biotech companies and agribusiness giants are seeing an opportunity to enter this promising ‘green’ consumer market and therefore these products are marketed to the next generation of people. new environmentally conscious consumers, who are increasingly critical of the harsh realities of industrial food production.
“As a result, burgers and hot dogs, as well as imitations of cheese, dairy, seafood and others, have begun to flood the market, being found everywhere from the fast food chain. to the local grocery store.
Vandana Shiva, who founded it three decades ago, says such products advertise themselves as ‘eco-friendly’, ‘healthy’ and ‘sustainable’. Navdanya and the Navdanya movement to defend the sovereignty of Seeds and Food and small farmers around the world, as well as Science, Technology and Ecology Research Foundation (New Delhi, India).
In short: big business has largely contributed to the destruction of the essential web of life… and big business is now feeding Nature by producing synthetic food.
© Inter Press Service (2022) – All rights reservedOrigin: Inter Press Service
